2
“Lexa, Serena and I have a plan,” Gabriel said, his voice coaxing as if he were talking to a child. “We’ll announce a peaceful breakup after the wedding. At most, another year, and I’ll tell the world you’re my wife.”
“This is all for us–for our future. Can’t you see that?”
The sheer absurdity of his words made me laugh.
I was already his wife, in name and in law. But here I was, hidden in the shadows, waiting for my husband to “give” me what was already mine.
Meanwhile, for Serena, he made everything easy.
When they first began their “Publicity Stunt Pairing,” she was just a rookie actress. The backlash from his fans was immediate, with waves of
online harassment aimed at her.
So Gabriel played the role of the protective boyfriend, suing anyone who dared insult her.
At a gala, when reporters pried into their relationship, he didn’t even deny it. Instead, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her in front of the flashing cameras.
The room erupted with applause.
And me? I was sitting in the audience, watching my husband kiss another woman, disguised as his assistant.
He later explained it away as part of the script, something the company had arranged.
But the “script” became their lives. Public outings, shared vacations, even private gatherings with friends–they were inseparable. He didn’t
even bother bringing me along anymore.
Eventually, even our mutual friends believed they were perfect for each other.
Tears burned in my eyes, but Gabriel brushed them aside with his typical indifference. “Don’t listen to them, Lexa. You’re my wife. What others
think doesn’t matter.”
Then, as if to prove his devotion, he leaned in to kiss my forehead, gazing at me with those deep, expressive eyes that had fooled me countless times before.
But this time, I didn’t budge.
“Let’s sleep,” I said, pulling the blanket over my head.
I felt him hesitate. Then, he sighed and lay beside me, draping an arm around me.
The cold glint of our wedding rings briefly caught the dim light before fading back into darkness.
It was only then that I truly realized how far I had fallen.
لما
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